Disc drives are digital data storage devices which store and retrieve large amounts of user data in a fast and efficient manner. The data are recorded on the surfaces of one or more rigid data storage discs affixed to a spindle motor for rotation at a constant high speed.
One or more data transducing heads are controllably positioned by an actuator to read data from and write data to tracks defined on the recording surfaces. The heads are configured to be hydrodynamically supported over the recording surfaces by fluidic currents established by the high speed rotation of the discs.
It is desirable to control the flow of the fluidic currents within a disc drive housing and to filter particulates from the currents. Particles can increase the chances to induce undesired and potentially catastrophic contact between the heads and the discs of the data storage device. Additionally, controlling the flow of the fluidic currents promotes a desirable reduction of turbulence in the vicinity of the heads. Turbulence can induce undesired vibrations in the heads, thereby adversely affecting data reading and writing performance.
In providing effective filtering and air flow control, disc drive designers are constrained by a number of factors, including continually reduced form factors and internal clearance issues. Thus, with the continued demand for higher performance data storage devices, there remains a continual need for improved approaches to controlling and filtering recirculating fluidic currents within such devices. It is to such improvements that the claimed invention is directed.